THROUGHOUT the week, we have heard commentators condemning the Paris attacks while simultaneously chastising Charlie Hebdo journalists for “provoking” the wrath of Muslims.

It was almost like telling a rape victim she should not have “provoked” her attacker by wearing a miniskirt.

Even Hamas — that well-known advocate of human rights and free speech — denounced the onslaught on the satirical magazine. Yet notable by its absence was any comment on the Jewish people murdered in the supermarket.

I put this question to all those who are trying to explain away the actions of terrorists they claim had “genuine grievances”: what was the justification for the murder of the Jews? They were murdered simply for existing.

The rest is subscription, but it’s good to know that people like Iram are being heard. (By rights they should be heard via the New Statesman and the Guardian, but those two are more enamored of Islamists than liberal Muslims.)

Comments

I think the world should sue Saudi Arabia for bringing the human race into disrepute

Well, it and slavery, colonialism, genocide, two world wars, fascism, Stalinism, war crimes, the destruction of the environment, the systematic exploiting and killing of tens of billions of our fellow animals, starvation and malnutrition in the midst of plenty, mass imprisonment, atomic bombings, Agent Orange, the Inquisition, torture, too many dictatorships to mention,…

To me, this exposes the true crime that is nationalism. The idea that, because someone is born within the geographic lines dominated by one collection of thugs, that they somehow belong to or agree with that collection of thugs. It’s so wrong, I can’t wrap my head around it. Humans should not have laws applied to them that they didn’t agree to, collectively. I don’t see how anyone would agree to live under a set of laws in which speaking their mind gets them beaten to death. The lie of religion is that you’re born into it. The lie of nationalism is that you’re born into it. The lie of slavery is that you’re born into it.

I think the world should sue Saudi Arabia for bringing the human race into disrepute.

The human race has never had a very good reputation. The only species that thinks highly of us is Canis lupus familiaris. They love us no matter what we do although even some of them are driven to bite.